Recipe: Quinoa Hot Cereal

February 10, 2010

quinoa cerealQuinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is like rice, but a little more nutty. It was a staple in the diet of South American Indians (who considered it a sacred food) for centuries, but only arrived in North America in the last 30 years or so.

What’s powerful about it is that it’s a full protein – unlike other vegetarian proteins that do not have all the amino acids. That makes it a great choice for vegans who might be worried about their protein intake. For everyone, though, it’s delicious, and contains lots of manganese and other nutrients.

I use it where I would use rice.  Because it’s gluten free, it also makes a great substitute for couscous in a couscous salad..

As a breakfast, it’s a very yummy alternative to oatmeal.  This one’s a recipe for the crock pot.

  • 1 ½ cups quinoa – rinsed well
  • 4 cups water – you can use rice, soy or almond milk for a creamier texture.
  • 1 cup chopped dried fruit like raisins, dates, apricots, cranberries, etc. of your liking (or leave this out if you don’t like it)
  • ½ tsp cinnamon

Toss everything in the crock pot (that’s the beauty of crock pots!), and cook on low heat all night. Add honey or some maple syrup in the morning if desired, and enjoy!

-Tara

PS – The photo is from The Vivacious Vegan – a great source of info and recipes!

Posted by Tara Gignac, ND | Filed Under Health tips, Recipes 

Comments

4 Responses to “Recipe: Quinoa Hot Cereal”

  1. Heather Harrison on February 10th, 2010 11:03 pm

    Where would I find quinoa?

  2. Melanie Robison on February 11th, 2010 1:22 am

    Hi Tara
    Thanks for the email. That is great.
    I don’t usually spend too much time searching for recipes or reading web sites. Usually seems too time consuming but I’ll enjoy this valuable info for health. Thanks for the time and effort you put in to help your patients. It is great!
    Sincerely,
    Melanie

  3. StoneTree Staff on February 11th, 2010 1:28 am

    Hi Heather,

    You can find quinoa in most larger grocery stores, but not always in the same section of each. Try the rice/grains section, or the health food section if they have one. You can also try a bulk food store like the Bulk Barn.

  4. Arcot Riemer on February 12th, 2010 1:52 am

    Quinoa can also be found at Bulk Barn. It says it is organic. I tried some today with an oatmeal mix and it was quite good. I didn’t try the crock pot as I wouldn’t cook that much so it was probably slightly crunchy but tasty with maple syrup.Enjoy

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